Penal Law § 250.35

Failing to report criminal communications · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 250.35 Failing to report criminal communications.

1. It shall be the duty of a telephone or telegraph corporation, or an entity operating an electronic communications service, and of any employee, officer or representative thereof having knowledge that the facilities of such corporation or entity are being used to conduct any criminal business, traffic or transaction, to furnish or attempt to furnish to an appropriate law enforcement officer or agency all pertinent information within his possession relating to such matter, and to cooperate fully with any law enforcement officer or agency investigating such matter.

2. A person is guilty of failing to report criminal communications when he knowingly violates any duty prescribed in subdivision one of this section.

Failing to report criminal communications is a class B misdemeanor.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/250.35

In plain English

(1) A telephone or telegraph company, electronic-communications service, and any representative who knows its facilities are being used for criminal business must provide or try to provide all pertinent information they possess to appropriate law enforcement and fully cooperate with the investigation. ★
(2) Knowingly violating that duty is failing to report criminal communications, a class B misdemeanor.

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.